Citizens Review: Savings and CDs
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- Savings
- Certificates of deposit
- Customer experience
Overall institution rating
4.3
Citizens, formerly Citizens Access, is the online-only division of Citizens Bank. It offers an FDIC-insured savings account and certificates of deposit with no fees and solid interest rates across the board. But there are some inconveniences: The bank doesn’t offer a checking account and its CDs have a relatively high minimum opening deposit of $5,000.
Best for: Those who want a competitive savings rate and don’t need a checking account or in-person assistance.
Pros
- No monthly fees on savings accounts.
- Competitive rate on savings accounts and some CDs.
- Low minimum opening deposit on some accounts.
- Extended phone customer service hours
Cons
- High minimum opening deposits for CDs.
- No checking account offered.
- High minimum balance to earn strong CD rate.
Full review
Citizens review
Savings
Savings
Member FDIC
4.5
/5 NerdWallet ratingWith an annual percentage yield of 4.15%, Citizens offers a strong online savings account and there are no monthly fees. The minimum opening deposit is just $0.01.
» Want to comparison shop? Check out rates from the best high-yield online savings accounts
Certificates of deposit
CD
Member FDIC
3.0
/5 NerdWallet ratingCitizens offers CDs with various term lengths and some strong rates. There's a high $5,000 minimum to open. However, it has yields higher than what you’ll find at some traditional banks. For more high yields, see our list of the best CD rates.
Customer experience
4.9
NerdWallet ratingCitizens offers multiple channels of customer support, including live phone help seven days a week, chat support and some help through X (Twitter). The bank also offers highly rated mobile apps.
Bear in mind that it does not offer checking accounts, so if you like to keep all your accounts under one roof, Citizens won’t be for you. Nor are wire transfers available; you can move money out of Citizens via account-to-account transfers or have a check mailed to you. You also can’t fund the account with cash — you can only deposit money into your accounts through an online transfer from a different bank account or by mobile check deposit.
How does Citizens compare?
 Member FDIC |  Member FDIC |
|---|---|
NerdWallet rating 4.5 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.5 /5 |
APY 4.20% With $0 min. balance for APY | APY 4.55% With $5,000 min. balance for APY |
Bonus $300 Earn up to $300 with direct deposit. Terms apply. | Bonus N/A |
Learn more at SoFi Bank, N.A. | Learn more at CIT Bank |
Methodology
NerdWallet’s overall ratings for banks and credit unions are weighted averages of several categories: checking, savings, certificates of deposit or credit union share certificates, banking experience and overdraft fees. Factors we consider, depending on the category, include rates and fees, ATM and branch access, account features and limits, user-facing technology, customer service and innovation. The stars represent ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars). Ratings are rounded to the nearest half-star.
